Syslinux - Jul 2004 - Syslinux 2.10 does not load initrd anymore

Hello all,

I just installed syslinux 2.10 on my usb-stick. It still boots then, but
doesn't load initrd.gz (same config file..).
Reverting back to syslinux 2.09 works fine, eg: initrd.gz is loaded.

Something changed in initrd handling code?

greetz,

Jaap Crezee

NB I am willing to share you more information or hints how to solve the
problem.

I am using kernel 2.6.7-bk20

Jaap Crezee wrote:
> Hello all,
> 
> I just installed syslinux 2.10 on my usb-stick. It still boots then, but
> doesn't load initrd.gz (same config file..).
> Reverting back to syslinux 2.09 works fine, eg: initrd.gz is loaded.
> 
> Something changed in initrd handling code?
> 
Nope, nothing.  Really.  Could you please send me a binary image 
(compressed, please) of your entire USB stick (failing)?  That's 
probably the best bet.

	-hpa

Hi!

syslinux 2.10 also fails to load initrd on my PcEngines board.
Going back to 2.06 (which worked OK) gets it back to normal.

PcEngines is a special board with only a serial console only.

I have changed nothing in my configuration, just syslinux.

Luis
 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: H. Peter Anvin [mailto:hpa at zytor.com] 
> Sent: Sunday, July 11, 2004 1:13 AM
> To: jaap at jcz.nl
> Cc: syslinux at zytor.com
> Subject: Re: [syslinux] Syslinux 2.10 does not load initrd anymore
> 
> Jaap Crezee wrote:
> > Hello all,
> > 
> > I just installed syslinux 2.10 on my usb-stick. It still 
> boots then, but
> > doesn't load initrd.gz (same config file..).
> > Reverting back to syslinux 2.09 works fine, eg: initrd.gz is loaded.
> > 
> > Something changed in initrd handling code?
> > 
> 
> Nope, nothing.  Really.  Could you please send me a binary image 
> (compressed, please) of your entire USB stick (failing)?  That's 
> probably the best bet.
> 
> 	-hpa
> 
> _______________________________________________
> SYSLINUX mailing list
> Submissions to SYSLINUX at zytor.com
> Unsubscribe or set options at:
> http://www.zytor.com/mailman/listinfo/syslinux
> Please do not send private replies to mailing list traffic.
>

Luis.F.Correia wrote:
> Hi!
> 
> syslinux 2.10 also fails to load initrd on my PcEngines board.
> Going back to 2.06 (which worked OK) gets it back to normal.
> 
> PcEngines is a special board with only a serial console only.
> 
> I have changed nothing in my configuration, just syslinux.
> 
Could you try to narrow down when the breakage occurred, preferrably to 
a specific prerelease?

	-hpa

> -----Original Message-----
> From: H. Peter Anvin [mailto:hpa at zytor.com] 
> Sent: Monday, July 12, 2004 4:06 PM
> To: Luis.F.Correia
> Cc: syslinux at zytor.com
> Subject: Re: [syslinux] Syslinux 2.10 does not load initrd anymore
> 
> Luis.F.Correia wrote:
> > Hi!
> > 
> > syslinux 2.10 also fails to load initrd on my PcEngines board.
> > Going back to 2.06 (which worked OK) gets it back to normal.
> > 
> > PcEngines is a special board with only a serial console only.
> > 
> > I have changed nothing in my configuration, just syslinux.
> > 
> 
> Could you try to narrow down when the breakage occurred, 
> preferrably to 
> a specific prerelease?
> 
> 	-hpa
> 
Yes I can.

I will download all versions between 2.06 and 2.10 (full releases)
and if I find out where it did break, I'll go the the pre-releases then.

Please allow me some time to do that. ;)

Luis

Hi!

Mission accomplished!

For me, initrd loading stopped working in 2.10-pre4
I really hope that you can figure out exactly what changed ;)

Luis 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: H. Peter Anvin [mailto:hpa at zytor.com] 
> Sent: Monday, July 12, 2004 7:12 PM
> To: Luis.F.Correia
> Cc: syslinux at zytor.com
> Subject: Re: [syslinux] Syslinux 2.10 does not load initrd anymore
> 
> Luis.F.Correia wrote:
> > 
> > Yes I can.
> > 
> > I will download all versions between 2.06 and 2.10 (full releases)
> > and if I find out where it did break, I'll go the the 
> pre-releases then.
> > 
> > Please allow me some time to do that. ;)
> > 
> 
> Of course.  Do a binary search and it shouldn't take *too* long.
> 
> 	-hpa
>

Luis.F.Correia wrote:
> Hi!
> 
> Mission accomplished!
> 
> For me, initrd loading stopped working in 2.10-pre4
> I really hope that you can figure out exactly what changed ;)
> 
WHAT THE HECK...

This is the grand total of the changes between 2.10-pre3 and -pre4:

Are you using the nomtools installer?

	-hpa

Index: NEWS
==================================================================RCS file:
/home/hpa/cvsroot/syslinux/NEWS,v
retrieving revision 1.174
retrieving revision 1.175
diff -u -r1.174 -r1.175
--- NEWS        18 May 2004 04:10:58 -0000      1.174
+++ NEWS        28 May 2004 19:03:18 -0000      1.175
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
         * Major menu improvement from Murali Ganapathy.
         * ISOLINUX: Wonderfully sick and brilliant workaround for
           severe bugs in certain Award BIOSes; from Knut Petersen.
+       * SYSLINUX: Fix for the nomtools installed, from Frederic
+         Pasteleurs.

  Changes in 2.09:
         * SYSLINUX: Remove residual setuid crap from
Index: syslinux-nomtools.c
==================================================================RCS file:
/home/hpa/cvsroot/syslinux/syslinux-nomtools.c,v
retrieving revision 1.4
retrieving revision 1.5
diff -u -r1.4 -r1.5
--- syslinux-nomtools.c 27 Dec 2003 07:12:32 -0000      1.4
+++ syslinux-nomtools.c 28 May 2004 19:03:18 -0000      1.5
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#ident "$Id: syslinux-nomtools.c,v 1.4 2003/12/27 07:12:32 hpa Exp $"
+#ident "$Id: syslinux-nomtools.c,v 1.5 2004/05/28 19:03:18 hpa Exp $"
  /* 
----------------------------------------------------------------------- *
   *
   *   Copyright 1998-2003 H. Peter Anvin - All Rights Reserved
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@
    off_t offset = 0;            /* -o (offset) option */

    program = argv[0];
+  mypid = getpid();

    device = NULL;

> -----Original Message-----
> From: H. Peter Anvin [mailto:hpa at zytor.com] 
> Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 4:15 AM
> To: Luis.F.Correia
> Cc: syslinux at zytor.com
> Subject: Re: [syslinux] Syslinux 2.10 does not load initrd anymore
> 
> Luis.F.Correia wrote:
> > Hi!
> > 
> > Mission accomplished!
> > 
> > For me, initrd loading stopped working in 2.10-pre4
> > I really hope that you can figure out exactly what changed ;)
> > 
> 
> WHAT THE HECK...
> 
> This is the grand total of the changes between 2.10-pre3 and -pre4:
> 
> Are you using the nomtools installer?
I guess not, I'm using syslinux.exe under Win32 (xp)

And it is pre3 works, pre4 does not work...


Luis

> 
> 	-hpa
> 
> Index: NEWS
> ==================================================================> RCS
file: /home/hpa/cvsroot/syslinux/NEWS,v
> retrieving revision 1.174
> retrieving revision 1.175
> diff -u -r1.174 -r1.175
> --- NEWS        18 May 2004 04:10:58 -0000      1.174
> +++ NEWS        28 May 2004 19:03:18 -0000      1.175
> @@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
>          * Major menu improvement from Murali Ganapathy.
>          * ISOLINUX: Wonderfully sick and brilliant workaround for
>            severe bugs in certain Award BIOSes; from Knut Petersen.
> +       * SYSLINUX: Fix for the nomtools installed, from Frederic
> +         Pasteleurs.
> 
>   Changes in 2.09:
>          * SYSLINUX: Remove residual setuid crap from
> Index: syslinux-nomtools.c
> ==================================================================> RCS
file: /home/hpa/cvsroot/syslinux/syslinux-nomtools.c,v
> retrieving revision 1.4
> retrieving revision 1.5
> diff -u -r1.4 -r1.5
> --- syslinux-nomtools.c 27 Dec 2003 07:12:32 -0000      1.4
> +++ syslinux-nomtools.c 28 May 2004 19:03:18 -0000      1.5
> @@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
> -#ident "$Id: syslinux-nomtools.c,v 1.4 2003/12/27 07:12:32 hpa Exp
$"
> +#ident "$Id: syslinux-nomtools.c,v 1.5 2004/05/28 19:03:18 hpa Exp
$"
>   /* 
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> --------- *
>    *
>    *   Copyright 1998-2003 H. Peter Anvin - All Rights Reserved
> @@ -130,6 +130,7 @@
>     off_t offset = 0;            /* -o (offset) option */
> 
>     program = argv[0];
> +  mypid = getpid();
> 
>     device = NULL;
>

Hi! 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: H. Peter Anvin [mailto:hpa at zytor.com] 
> Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 4:21 AM
> To: Luis.F.Correia
> Cc: syslinux at zytor.com
> Subject: Re: [syslinux] Syslinux 2.10 does not load initrd anymore
> 
> Luis.F.Correia wrote:
> > Hi!
> > 
> > Mission accomplished!
> > 
> > For me, initrd loading stopped working in 2.10-pre4
> > I really hope that you can figure out exactly what changed ;)
> > 
> 
> Are you sure that it's not -pre5 (as in 2.10-pre4 works, 2.10-pre5 
> doesn't)?  That would implicate the AllowOptions change, 
> which came with 
> a memory reshuffling for space.
> 
> 	-hpa
> 
Yes I'm sure.

After finding out the problem was between 2.09 and 2.10, i got all
'even' pre releases, pre6, pre4 and pre2.
>From those only pre2 worked, so I fetched pre3 which still worked.
This was exactly how I did proceed in my findings.

Now I just hope that the fact I'm using Win32 do run syslinux does
not negatively affect the problem detection.


Luis

> -----Original Message-----
> From: H. Peter Anvin [mailto:hpa at zytor.com] 
> Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 3:37 PM
> To: jaap at jcz.nl
> Cc: syslinux at zytor.com
> Subject: Re: [syslinux] Syslinux 2.10 does not load initrd anymore
> 
> Jaap Crezee wrote:
> > Indeed, let us not pray to any kind of favoritisme regarding OS;
> > Under win32 aswell linux it does no longer work.
> > 
> 
> OK, I'm just baffled.  There are *NO*, zero, zip, differences between 
> -pre3 and -pre4.  Perhaps one of them got miscompiled; I'll have to 
> compare the binaries I guess...  EEP!
> 
Ok, later on i'll produce a 'visible report' of the differences for
you
to judge.

Luis

> 	-hpa
> 
> _______________________________________________
> SYSLINUX mailing list
> Submissions to SYSLINUX at zytor.com
> Unsubscribe or set options at:
> http://www.zytor.com/mailman/listinfo/syslinux
> Please do not send private replies to mailing list traffic.
>

I'm terribly sorry, you were absolutely right.

I hope the mail with the full log arrives to the list. 



Luis
> -----Original Message-----
> From: H. Peter Anvin [mailto:hpa at zytor.com] 
> Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 4:21 AM
> To: Luis.F.Correia
> Cc: syslinux at zytor.com
> Subject: Re: [syslinux] Syslinux 2.10 does not load initrd anymore
> 
> Luis.F.Correia wrote:
> > Hi!
> > 
> > Mission accomplished!
> > 
> > For me, initrd loading stopped working in 2.10-pre4
> > I really hope that you can figure out exactly what changed ;)
> > 
> 
> Are you sure that it's not -pre5 (as in 2.10-pre4 works, 2.10-pre5 
> doesn't)?  That would implicate the AllowOptions change, 
> which came with 
> a memory reshuffling for space.
> 
> 	-hpa
>